As a writer, I started off in the publishing industry by writing for anthologies. There are a lot of publishers out there that do submission calls for anthologies a few times a year. Writing for an anthology is a great way to start off or provide cushioning for your writing career, and here’s why:

1. Anthologies are looking for new authors. It’s like getting a foot in the door in your chosen writing field, and once your story is accepted at an anthology, the publisher will usually accept submissions for longer works from you. This is important for publishers that don’t accept unsolicited work.
2. Anthologies are usually themed. If you’re a writer that has problems coming up with new ideas or really want to know what a publisher or a reader is looking for, anthologies usually tell you exactly the kind of story they want. Take note that if you’re writing for a theme, don’t write the same, overdone trope. Try and put some sort of new twist on the theme, something that makes the reader think to themselves “that was really clever.”
3. Anthology stories are usually either short story or novella length. This way, you can get a taste for getting something published and all the other editing, revision and proofreading that goes into it.
4. Author print copies of anthologies are going to give you writing samples from lots of other authors writing in the same genre as you. You get an example of other writing styles and get a good look at the quality of writing your publisher is looking for. Do your research. If there’s an author in your anthology that has a lot of their other works published, take note of what makes their story exemplary.
5. It gives your writing resume a boost. Other publishers both in the same genre and out will want to know if you have past publications. Having an array of different story styles will show off your diversity.
6. Anthologies are fun and the publisher is probably really excited about it, so if you’re excited about it too, you’ll all be happy.